


Differences

by Causa



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-22
Updated: 2015-07-22
Packaged: 2018-04-10 14:28:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4395401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Causa/pseuds/Causa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The gem in front of him no longer moved gracefully but desperately, clambering off the ground, lunging face-first, stumbling back. But he was still jealous of her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Differences

When Greg was with Rose, he felt as if some magic bubble had wrapped itself around the two of them, fighting time and the future and anything that could get in their way. When he voiced this to her, she laughed and said, 

"Well it can't stop time. But it _can_ protect you from projectiles!" 

Then he felt his stomach sink and Rose took his hand and said, "I love you." 

But he wasn't sure. And every time he was reminded of their differences, a piece of his confidence broke off and dissolved into the acid in his stomach—sometimes he could feel it coming up and he was afraid it would come out. But the ambush to which he and Rose were subjected to—which the others in the temple heard and came rushing towards—acted as a distraction from his doubts. 

"Pearl! Protect Greg!" 

Suddenly everything in front of him shrank and he was in the arms of the small, lithe gem whose eyes were lit with enthusiasm he had never seen; they landed far from the large, wormlike creature and he watched with wide eyes as a spear appeared in front of hers. As she threw it, another appeared, he realized, from her forehead. The third time he realized it was coming from her gem, and he slapped himself on the arm. _Whatever_ the thing in front of him was —he refused to look at it—seemed to be inching closer. He let out a small gasp.

" _What_ is it?" 

The gem was several feet in front of him; she had good hearing, he guessed. _How_ good? 

"I—I've—I've never seen anything like this before," he stammered. 

"Oh, you humans have had worse," she said, dipping smoothly and twirling before extending her arm and sending another spear toward the grey thing's throat. Was she showing off for him, or were the leaps intricate spins predicated by the small chance that Rose, in dodging, would turn and see her? He had never seen anyone move with such fluidity, as though the ground and her weapon and everything around it were extensions of herself she directed to her liking. Pride and poise exuded from her; he noticed that her eyes barely left the figure of Rose Quartz. 

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a purple blur flying in the air; it hit the ground and mist emanated from what was now a small, dull gem.

"Oh my god," he gasped after a moment, "Amethyst!" 

He noticed Pearl's head move ever so slightly in the collapsed gem's direction. 

"She's _fine_ ," Pearl said. "I told her not to come. She'll be out in an hour." Quickly she rolled to the gem's side and tapped it; it disappeared.

"Wh—"

"I sent her back to the temple."

"Why don't you do that to me?!" he shouted, exasperated. 

"I don't know if it works on humans," she said breezily. "And I wouldn't want to be the one to tell Rose I accidentally killed her—" 

She did not finish her sentence and instead resumed pelting the creature with what appeared to be bullets that appeared from her spear faster than he could process. 

There was a loud roar and the thing in front of him was no longer large and looming; instead there were now hundreds of grey, oozing, slithering things that appeared to be moving toward him. He heard Pearl groan. 

"Stay back," she said, twirling her spear in her hand; it caught the sunlight's glare and that stung his eyes. Through his watery gaze he saw her elegant figure, pirouetting and plunging and emerging, arms outstretched, eyes on fire. She sliced through the grey things and slime splattered onto her; she shuddered and stabbed another cleanly through its gem, laughing triumphantly. Her eyes moved, lingering on her leader, who appeared even more radiant. With a long sigh, Pearl spun, vivisecting the creatures through their middle; again her eyes fixed themselves on Rose, whose light ringlets picked up the air and floated up, drifting weightlessly as she moved forcefully. There was something sensual, he noticed, about the pivot of her feet and the twist of her hips and the curl of her stomach as she dodged, leapt, landed, thrust; he could see that Pearl noticed too. Her eyes, blazing with passion and longing, were once again focused on the enemy before her; just as quickly it was stabbed and crushed by the end of her spear. More were approaching toward her, and after what felt like hours his protector was beginning to show signs of fatigue: a slight slump of the shoulders and crookedness in her neck were startling to Greg. They did not go unnoticed by Rose. 

"Pearl! You can take Greg and take a break if you—" 

At the sound of her voice the smaller gem's back straightened and she bounced on the tips of her toes, shouting, "I'm fine, Rose!" 

Rose smiled at her with pride and tenderness Greg had never seen; he felt bile build up in his throat. He bit his lip; though the creatures' number was lesser, there were still more than he could count. Pearl's spear sliced, struck, severed, but when one exploded into squeals and slime another would take its place. Rose did not appear tired; Rose was extraordinary. 

But even she had her limits. When she stumbled, unison gasps rose from the duo's throat, followed by a scream in harmony. Greg heard a shriek, then, very near to him; he saw liquid bubble up and ooze from the lithe gem's arm as sharp teeth receded from it; her spear was on the ground. The thing that had attacked her slithered toward Greg, who felt his throat narrowing. Shrill came the "No, no, no, no, no—" 

Greg saw a haphazard spear poke through the creature's left half; it stopped moving long enough for him to scramble backward.  
It was then split into uneven pieces by the frantic, repeated stabbing of Pearl's weapon, accompanied by frenzied, breathless grunts. She turned to face the next group slinking toward her and sighed deeply. 

Though slower and sloppier, she continued thinning out the miniature army of creatures that came before them, but not without being nicked, cut, flung about. He watched her struggle, not daring to look at Rose; just the thought of her in pain was enough to make him force his eyes shut. 

_And you fought in a war?_ he wanted to shout. _All of you? And you won?_

The gem in front of him no longer moved gracefully but desperately, clambering off the ground, lunging face-first, stumbling back. But he was still jealous of her.

When Pearl had to use her spear to support her trembling body, Rose appeared suddenly before them, dress torn, sword inside the last of the creatures. After sheathing her blade she gently wrapped Pearl's arm around her shoulders and touched her lips to her hair. Greg bristled. 

Pearl muttered something that sounded to Greg like an apology, her eyes downcast. 

"You did great, Pearl." Rose's voice was gentle but weighted. 

"Thanks for taking care of my boyfriend," was what he wished she'd have said. Instead she then looked to him with tired but kind eyes, and extended her hand to him. He took it, and the three returned to the temple. There she disappeared with Pearl; an hour later she was smiling before him. 

"Sorry about that. We'll have to move our date to tomorrow—unless you want to go out tonight." Her eyes sparkled. 

"I—I'm feeling kind of tired."

Rose laughed. "Tomorrow it is." 

"Rose," he began quietly, "do you—do you love me?"

She laughed once more. "What a silly question! Of course I do!" 

"I—how _can you_?" he said. "Why don't you love Pearl instead? She does and you've had, I don't know, three thousand years of knowing each other and—"

"I've known her for about five thousand years."

" _Five_ thousand! I—I can't even comprehend that!" 

"Pearl and I have a lot of history," said Rose slowly, her eyes not meeting his. She took his hands in hers. " _But_ every moment I have with you is special. Spending time with you is like nothing else I've ever experienced." 

"I don't believe that," said Greg. "You're an _alien_. You've fought in _wars_. Hell, you've seen all of human history." 

"I have," she said solemnly. "There's never been anything or anyone like you, Greg. And I love every second of knowing that. I learn it over and over again every time I'm with you and that's why I love you so much." 

"But—But I'm nothing—"

"Stop being silly," she said, giggling and taking him into her arms; she was warm and tender and he nestled his head into her chest. 

"I am being silly," he mumbled, sighing contentedly. 

"So—o," she hummed, singsong. "It's dark out. You want to spend the night here?"


End file.
